Well, that was a fine howdy-do on opening night of the girls basketball season. The NVL and BL defending champions, Torrington and Thomaston High Schools, lost the first game of the season last week

Both bounced back with victories in game two, but the word has gone forth from this time and place: Championship races are wide open.

Good.

Gone are the days, we hope, when, in the NVL for example, you waited only for the Torrington-Holy Cross games. To win a title in February or March of 2014 a team must win a load of tough games. That is good for fans and, of course, great for the teams that want to make meaningful runs in the state tournament.

Nearing 400: Holy Cross coach Frank Lombardo earned career victory No. 398 when the Crusaders topped Naugatuck last week. If the coach is to reach 400 this week the Crusaders must win a couple of tough ones.

Tonight, Cross plays at Sacred Heart (7 p.m., Alumni Hall) in an early Copper Division test for both teams.

The Hearts have already passed one exam with a win last week in Torrington. Mikyla Jacobs and Maya Eggleston were superb in a turnover-strewn game, and you can bet that Cross will test the Hearts with its trademark pressure defense.

Wednesday Holy Cross plays at Wolcott, as the Eagles try to prove that they are ready to challenge the best of the NVL. Cross hosts Derby Friday.

If the Crusaders get the coach No. 400 this week, they will earn it, big time.

A side note on Lombardo and the program: Sure, we focus on championships and victories, but there is something else he has excelled at at Cross. Since taking over the program in 1994, 31 of his players have gone on to play college basketball, and two, Erin Leger, and former assistant Steve Barbieri, now coach at the collegiate level.

That, truly, is what this is all about.

Lopes saga: It is expected that the Ed Lopes saga could drag on for a few weeks in Watertown. The girls head coach has stepped aside from the program while parental complaints are investigated.

Many area coaches have gone through similar issues, and parents have successfully removed coaches from many area schools in many sports in recent years. Some coaches have resigned rather that deal with perpetually angry parents.

The Lopes situation takes this problem one step further, however. Lopes, who is on administrative leave from the program, may not have any contact with his team. He cannot be in the gym. He cannot be at the school. He cannot attend a game, home or away.

But, um, his daughter plays on the team.

How can you deny a father the opportunity to support and enjoy his child's high school activities? It is seems un-American to tell a father that he cannot participate in the lives of his children.

Lopes has also been told that he cannot have contact with children in the Watertown public school system. That is a tough one to enforce since the man has two children at the high school and one in middle school.

I guess he eats his meals in the garage.

Falcons impress: When St. Paul defeated Watertown Friday in a close game, 54-46, the Falcons did it the hard way.

Team leading scorer Theresa Swanke, who sat much of the first half with foul trouble, did not score a field goal in the game and finished with two points. St. Paul rallied past Watertown with defense, rebounding, and clutch play from Maddie Sturm, Lizzy Ferraro, and Kelly McMahon.

To win against the Indians, the two-time defending Brass champions, without a scoring contribution from your star, told NVL opponents just how tough it will be to come home from Bristol with a victory this season.

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